MLive and Chronicle reporter Lynn Moore's Feb. 23 post, "Combining Spring Lake elementaries has great merit, committee finds" explains the recommendation of the Elementary Planning Committee at Spring Lake School Board meeting on Feb. 18. Also on Feb. 18, the board voted to hire TMP Architecture of Portage and Bloomfield Hills to help the district plan for facility needs.

We attended the meeting and left believing that although the committee "stopped short" of recommending a new building, a bond issue is looming. Board meeting minutes for Oct. 15, 2012, state:

"A comprehensive list of needs has been compiled for technology, facilities and transportation and a comparison of bond issue alternative cost estimates, low, medium and maximum, has been developed." Will the voters be given a choice of these alternative costs? Will the board consider increasing students' learning by rotating teachers' assignments so that improved facilities can be used year round?

NOW is the time for Spring Lake voters who want good schools to attend two public meetings on March 7 and 21. Now is the time for educators to explain skills such as differentiated learning, agility and adaptibility. Now is the time for the school board to listen to the concerns of voters on fixed incomes. Now is the time to gather financial facts and listen to divergent opinions.

Please attend the meetings at Holmes and Jeffers Schools on March 7 and 21!